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University hosts 'DeStresstival' to help students

Michelle Dawes & Lia Desai
BBC CWR
BBC A man with a navy blue zip up top and camel-coloured top beneath is standing in front of a pen of llamas and other animals in pens. Blue feeding buckets can be seen to the side of the closest pen. There is greenery and trees in the background.BBC
Warwick University student Ehmad Muqri said the petting zoo had motivated him to socialise more during exams

A university is hosting a unique festival in a bid to help students unwind during one of the most demanding points in the academic year.

DeStresstival is a free wellbeing programme designed to support good mental health at the University of Warwick and includes events such as pet therapy, mindfulness sessions, creative workshops and yoga.

Ehmad Muqri had been studying for his exams and said: "When you're stressed, you tend to socialise less. You come here, see your friends and do some group activities, so it's like a motivation".

The initiative began on 12 May, during Mental Health Awareness Week, and will run until June 8.

An adult goat is sitting on a grassed area in a pen with two baby goats standing close to the left of her head.
Students at the University of Warwick can visit a petting zoo on campus as the part of the initiative

'Holistic wellbeing'

The activities include pickleball, which is a combination of tennis, badminton and table tennis, and a sound bath workshop, offering an immersive relaxation experience using sound frequencies to promote calm and mindfulness.

Students can also join creative sessions such as rock painting, as well as heading to the petting zoo where they can meet friendly animals including goats, alpacas and guinea pigs in a calm, outdoor setting to help relieve stress and lift their mood.

Four guinea pigs in two separate wooden pens on a grassed area. Two in each pen are huddled together in the corners on the grass.
The university's petting zoo is home to a number of animals including guinea pigs, goats and alpacas

Event organiser Khushi Ganatra said the festival, which was in its second year, started after people were concerned students were spending too long in their rooms and in the library.

A young woman in a pink Warwick University hoodie and long curly black hair is standing in front of a pen where a black Shetland pony is eating the grass beneath. There is a row of trees in the background.
Khushi Ganatra, the festival's organiser, said the event helped people to "feel more supported and able to take care of themselves"

"I think it's really important to take breaks and make sure your mind is as clear as it can be as part of your holistic wellbeing.

"If students are struggling with stress and exams, it's really important to tackle that from the root of the issue, and by holding these kinds of events, they can feel more supported and able to take care of themselves," Ms Ganatra said.

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